Chained to You
by HungerJackson
Summary: AU. After twenty-one years of leading a normal life, Annabeth discovers she has to marry a stranger thanks to her father. She's already in love with someone else and doesn't want to do it. But as she spends time with her arranged fiancé, she realizes that she's probably chained to him by something stronger than a deal: love. However, it might be too late to realize that.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, it's been a long time since I posted something here! I'm actually really happy because it's the first time in a while that I'm able to write something and finish it; I guess the series of events I've lived in the past years have given me inspiration. Anyway, I really hope you like this story; this is just the beginning, it's not that intense, but it will get much better. Also, for those who don't know me, I usually warn that Spanish is my first language, so please go easy on me if you see some mistakes (especially since I'm a bit out of practice). That's all I have to say! Enjoy, follow, favorite, review, everything!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _No_.

I wanted to scream, to make everyone around the globe listen to my voice, but as much as I tried my lips couldn't move. I was stuck in my place, standing before a priest and next to a man I didn't even know. It was my wedding.

But I didn't want to get married.

"Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have—the gifts of your lives united," said the priest, smiling as if it was the best day of his life. "And may your days be long on this earth. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Wedding music started playing, and every guest invited to the celebration cheered. _Run_ , I told myself, but instead of fleeing my body turned in the direction of my so-called husband. I couldn't see his face; it was covered by shadows and resembled a black hole.

Yet, that didn't stop him from leaning forward and trying to kiss me.

 _Run_ , I thought again. Useless. I couldn't do anything. The man continued to lean forward, and as he did the shadows expanded. The sound of cheers died, and the church vanished. Soon, I was surrounded by darkness, and I started falling.

 _No._

 _No._

 _Stop._

 **. . .**

"Stop!"

I opened my eyes and found myself no longer surrounded by darkness. Instead, I was sitting inside a train with my head leaned on the window. Fortunately, the wagon was empty except for me and a guy, but he seemed too caught up with his phone to put me attention.

It had all been a dream.

No. A nightmare. And caused by none other than the person I loved the most: my father.

How could he have done it? I know he'd accepted the money to save my life. I know he'd done it with good intentions. I know he'd done it because he loved me.

But I hated his decision.

I didn't want to marry a stranger just because his father had paid the surgery to save me. My family had had a car accident fourteen years before, and this rich guy had offered to pay our debts in exchange of my hand when I turned twenty-one.

Yeah, I was spending my twenty-first birthday in a train, trying to stay away from my father.

"Last stop: Grand Central Station," said the driver through the speakers. Suddenly, we entered a tunnel, and I knew the train would stop soon.

I grabbed my things from the seat next to mine and prepared to leave. As the train stopped, I put on my earphones and selected from my phone _The Scientist_ , covered by Corinne Bailey Rae. Nothing like listening to sad songs when you're feeling depressed.

 _Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry_

 _You don't know how lovely you are_

When the doors opened, I got off the train and walked to the exit. With the music on, I felt as if I was being recorded for a music video. Then, as I reached the main concourse, the song stopped, and I received a phone call.

It was Luke.

My already broken heart broke even more. How was I supposed to tell my boyfriend that I had to marry someone else? I loved him. We'd been together since high school. We had so many dreams and plans for the future. And now _everything_ had to end?

I couldn't take the call. I needed time to think. Plus, that's not the kind of news you give over a phone call. So, I rejected the call and continued walking.

I had nowhere to go; I was trapped in a train station in Manhattan, trying to stay away from my family. Normally, I would've crashed at Luke's, but it wasn't the correct place to go at the time.

In the end, I remained on the stairs that led to the Apple Store and watched everything on the main concourse. Plenty of people arrived, some others left. Still, the place was full. And out of all the people that existed, _I_ had to be the one forced to marry.

 _Ding!_

It was a text from Luke. As I opened it, my sadness grew stronger. How would I get used to be with someone else when I loved Luke?

* * *

 **Luke (13:09):** Everything okay? Ur family called, they're looking 4 u. I'm worried. Call me back asap, xo.

* * *

I decided to ignore the text and continued wasting my time while listening to depressing music. "' _Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard_ ,'" I mumbled, following Corinne's voice. "' _Oh, take me back to the start_.'"

As the song reached to an end, I allowed a couple of tears to come out. Normally, I would've felt embarrassed of crying in public, but here, where you could find all kinds of people doing all kinds of things, I didn't feel ashamed.

" _The Scientist_ , nightmares in the train, bloodshot eyes, tears. Rough day, huh?"

At the sound of the masculine voice, I turned to the right just to find a guy standing next to me, also overlooking the concourse. His hair was dark, just like the night sky, and I could see intense green eyes that remind me of the sea.

The guy wore black jeans and a navy blue t-shirt that hugged his upper body really well. There was something about his outfit that seemed familiar. I had seen it before…

Then, it came to me. He was the guy from the train. I'd thought he'd been distracted with his phone, but he _had_ noticed my nightmare. And now here he was.

"I'm not following you," he said as if reading my mind. "This is just a coincidence. I usually come here when I'm having a rough day, too."

I waited in silence for a couple of seconds. My mind was deciding whether to answer or not. Then, I just sighed and said: "'Shitty' would be more appropriate than 'rough.'"

"Shitty day it is, then." He ran a hand through his hair and waited some moments in silence. "If it's not too much, can I ask if it's serious? The problem you're dealing with, I mean."

"Well, it's one of those problems that change your life completely, and as much as you want you can't go back to the old you," I replied.

"Oh, I'm really sorry about that, and welcome to the club. That's the kind of problems I always have. I'm Perseus, by the way, but you can call me Percy." The guy—Percy—finally turned to face me and offered me a hand. I was a little bit surprised by his looks; he was handsome, like Luke, but in a complete different way.

"Annabeth," I said, shaking his hand, "but you can call me…Annabeth. I don't know, everyone always calls me like that."

Percy laughed a little at my response, and even though he was a complete stranger his laugh made me feel better. "I'll call you Annabeth, then." He smiled. "Now, that's better. You look better smiling than crying. I'm glad I helped a bit."

"Your laugh is a bit contagious, I must admit." I chuckled, placing a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, Annabeth, how about we stop feeling depressed and we go get some coffee? I already made you smile, and that cheered me up a bit; I can't let us go back to being sad."

I've never been good at being friendly; most people consider me serious and cold. During normal circumstances I probably would've rejected Percy's offer, but maybe I needed to keep my mind distracted. Plus, he didn't seem like a bad guy or something. "Okay. Lead the way."

"This way."

We crossed the place until we reached a different set of stairs that led to a different concourse. This area had tables and some food shops. Percy asked me to take a seat, and I asked him to bring me a vanilla cappuccino after handing him a ten-dollar bill.

After he came back, he handed me the coffee and took the seat across from mine. He drank a few sips, and so did I, silence between us. "I just wanna talk, don't think I have other intentions," he said, raising his hands as if I'd accused him of something. "With that said, tell me about you."

"Well, as you know, my name is Annabeth," I said, feeling like it was the first day of school and I had to introduce myself to everyone. "I'm twenty-one years old, I like reading and studying, and I currently study architecture. You could say I'm a nerd; I should graduate next year, but this is my last semester."

"You don't strike me as a nerd," he said, blushing a little bit. "Your life sounds so…good. How can someone _that_ good have problems?"

"You have no idea." Sighing, I took another sip of my coffee.

"Well, I'm Percy." I noticed he tried to stop me from feeling depressed, and that made me smile again. "I'm twenty-two. I like the sea, and sleeping, and I just graduated from college. I studied International Business."

As he said 'International Business' I realized his expression changed. There was…disgust, as if he didn't like his major.

"You don't like International Business, do you?" I asked, and he shook his head. "If you don't like that, why did you study it?"

"Remember what I said that I always have life-changing problems?" he asked with a low volume, as if he didn't want anyone else to listen. "Well, all of them are caused by none other than my father. He likes…taking control of my life. Most of my decisions have been taken by him. I wanted to study marine biology, for example. I've always loved the sea; everything related to it amazes me. _But_ he didn't like the idea; he wants me to be prepared to own his company. So, he made me study International Business instead."

"That's…awful."

He nodded. "He's a good man. Everything he does is for my well being, but sometimes he forgets it's _my_ life, not his."

"And why do you allow him to keep doing it?"

Shrugging, he looked down at the table and traced invisible lines with his finger. "You'll probably think it's stupid, but I guess I'm used to it. Growing up with him, I always had everything I needed; I never lacked anything, and I got used to that. I'm scared to find out that I'm not strong or smart enough to survive this world on my own, just because I never had to work hard for things before."

I took a moment to think of his answer. Then, I said: "You don't strike me as a stupid person, Percy. I'm pretty sure you're capable of handling any situation on your own, you just need to believe it. Maybe it's not the right time to start taking your own decisions, because with that mentality you won't get anywhere, but work on that. Every day, try to think that no one is better than you, and give your best. Soon, you'll be confident enough to take your own decisions."

There was silence for a couple of minutes, and he kept drawing on the table with his finger. I couldn't see his expression since he was looking down. Had I said something wrong? But then he lifted his face, and he was smiling genuinely.

"Thank you, Annabeth, that means a lot to me," he said. "It's the first time I talk about this with anyone, and what you said is probably what I needed to hear."

"What are friends for?" I grinned. He chuckled, and I drank from my coffee again. During the following hour, he told me everything about the places he'd visited. He'd gone to so many places: from Greece to small towns in South America. For a moment I wished my family was rich, too; I wanted to go everywhere.

By three o'clock, I felt much better. Of course I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I had to marry a stranger, but my mind was distracted enough to feel upbeat. Percy got a call from his father, and I knew by his replies that he had to leave—he had to go to a meeting or something. Before saying our goodbyes, he and I exchanged phone numbers.

"It was very nice meeting you, Annabeth," he said, standing up. "And thank you. Everything you said about me being capable of doing anything made me feel good. I hope we ever meet again, and maybe by then things will be different."

"I really hope so, Percy. It was nice meeting you, too. Thank you for keeping me distracted," I said, smiling. "It's probably time to go back home and confront my own problems."

He accompanied me back to the main concourse, and we bought train tickets for different tracks. After shaking hands one more time, we separated, and I headed to track twenty-one.

It was time to head home and solve my problems.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Hey everyone, how have you been? I'm really sorry for not being able to update in, like, a year. I've been pretty busy with colleger (I'm finally about to graduate, yay!). Anyway, I'm glad to continue writing this story, and I hope you like this update! Please, take in consideration that I haven't written in a year and I didn't check it deeply, so be gentle! Please, review and tell me what you think! See you!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

I lived in a small neighborhood.

The place wasn't full of rich mansions or expensive cars like other New York areas, but it was enough for families to be happy. Kids here still gathered in groups to play, and adults hung out to joke around and eat, unlike everyone nowadays. People only spend their time on Facebook and texting the person by their side.

As I headed home—two stories tall, silver colored and located at the end of the street—children ran on the street as they played hide and seek. "Annie! You're back!" My twin brothers waved and smiled as they hurried to hide behind a tree, always together.

"Hey, guys," I replied with a smile. As I continued walking, I wished to be a small girl again. Life was easy for them; they didn't know their older sister had to marry a stranger. Who buys a wife nowadays, anyway? Probably some creepy dude.

My mind was trying to imagine what the guy looked like, but soon I noticed a strange car parked next to my house; it was black, and very pretty. I didn't know much about cars, but I was a hundred percent sure it was new. Not new as in recently bought; new as in recently released.

"That's strange," I muttered to myself, but I tried to take the thought out of my mind. Maybe the neighbors had bought a new car or something; I'd heard that they'd recently got a better job. Good for them.

At last, I was standing by the front door of my house, but my mind was empty. I hadn't thought of a way to solve my problem. How can you escape from an arranged marriage? Trying to confront my problems was harder than I'd thought.

I thought over and over about the situation, but I couldn't find a solution. Everything that passed through my mind involved traveling and getting as far as possible from New York, and though it sounded tempting, I didn't have the money to do it.

I probably could've stayed there what was left of the day, but the door opened suddenly, as if my wild thoughts had been heard inside. A figure with my same height stood before me: brown hair, flawless skin, and gray eyes just like mine. "Oh, Annabeth," said my mom, relief washing over her. "You came back!"

Mom pulled me by the wrists and wrapped her arms around me. I was a bit startled by her hug, because she didn't normally give hugs away just like that, but after a couple of seconds I hugged her back.

"I was really worried, Annabeth," she said, keeping me in her arms.

"Mom, you know I can take care of myself." I smiled, patting her back reassuringly. "You shouldn't worry."

"I know, Annabeth. I trust you wholeheartedly. But I was scared that you'd do something stupid after what happened this morning." She was talking about the marriage, of course. And to be honest, it _did_ cross my mind to never come back. But my conversation with that guy, Percy, had helped me come home. We hadn't actually talked about my problems, but he'd helped me a lot for sure.

"I'm okay, mom." I tried to sound as confident as possible. "Everything's gonna be okay, we'll figure something out."

She smiled, and we finally entered the house. Just when the door closed behind us, dad appeared from the kitchen, the same worried expression as mom on his face. Suddenly, all of my confidence faded, and I wanted to feel sad again. How could he have done it?

"Oh, Annabeth," he said, walking in my direction. However, when he noticed how uncomfortable I felt, he stopped and just stared at me. "I am _truly_ sorry, Annabeth. I never intended for any of this to happen. I-I really thought after all these years Poseidon would change his mind and allow me to pay him in some other way, but it seems that I was wrong."

My father wasn't a bad man. In fact, he was a great father; sometimes things got a little awkward between us, but he was always there to listen to me and help me get through difficult situations despite our economic problems. Of course, there were other ways to get money, dozens of options. But in the end, what matters is that he'd done it for my health.

"It's okay, dad," I said, heaving a sigh. "I'm sure we'll find a way out of this."

"We will," he responded, taking slow steps in my direction, as if scared of me punching him. "I'll talk to Poseidon. I've been saving money. It's not the same amount he paid, but maybe he'll understand our situation. He did it once, maybe he can do it again. We'll get out of this."

For a moment, we all thought things would be okay. Of course. If that man—Poseidon, I recalled—had helped us once maybe he could do it again. Someone with a bad heart wouldn't just help a small girl to survive, right? Then, the bell rang.

We all stared at the door, feeling confused; I wasn't expecting anyone, and judging by the faces of my parents neither were them. Matthew and Bobby could enter whenever they wanted without ringing. Maybe…

My heart started beating faster than usual. The black car outside the house didn't belong to the neighbors. It had to be someone else's, and the only person I could think of was…

Dad was probably thinking the same thing as me, because his face was almost as pale as paper, but he managed to snap out of it and walk to the door. I joined him by the entrance, and so did my mother, all of us expecting to get a look of the guy I had to marry.

When the door opened, I was surprised. "Hello, Frederick. It's good to see you again." The man was tall, with broad shoulders, really dark hair and incredible green eyes. I must admit: this guy was handsome, but he _definitely_ wasn't my age. He was probably the age of my father, or probably older, and the thought of this man wanting to marry me made me sick.

"Poseidon," managed to say my father. "I-I didn't expect you to come here."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," Poseidon said. Then, he turned to me and smiled. "I was just anxious to meet your daughter. Annabeth, right?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, trying to get my confidence back. "Look, sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I don't think I want to marry you. I don't know what my father was thinking, but—"

"Wait, hold it right there," said Poseidon, interrupting me. "I don't want to marry you." He laughed. "I think you're a bit confused. I just think you would be the perfect girl for my son. Isn't that right, son?"

Suddenly, a guy appeared from behind Poseidon, wearing familiar black jeans and blue t-shirt. My eyes opened wide. "Wait, what?" I asked. "Percy?"

Percy had been walking with his eyes down to his phone, looking uninterested, until he heard his name and looked up. "Annabeth? What are you doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Asked Poseidon, looking at his son and then at me.

"I met him earlier today," I said, trying not to stutter. I couldn't keep my eyes off Percy. New York is such an enormous city, and I had met the guy I had to marry in the same train as I escaped from home.

"Well, that makes things easier. Isn't she a beautiful young woman, son?"

"Well, yeah, of course she is," he responded, his skin turning pink. "Earlier, when you were crying, was it because of all… _this_?" I nodded. "Oh Gods, we were always going through the same situation and we never suspected it."

"Look, Poseidon," said dad, joining the conversation again. "I'm really grateful for what you did for me so many years ago, and I appreciate that you see my daughter as the perfect wife for your son, but I was in a moment of need. I was desperate to save my little girl before it was too late. And now, I can tell you that I can't allow the marriage you want. Annabeth's happiness is first, and she doesn't want this. I'm really sorry if I disappointed you."

After everything my father had said, I expected Poseidon to start yelling and kicking things, but he only remained still with his green eyes fixed on my father. Even Percy seemed nervous, waiting for his father's response.

Finally, Poseidon said. "Disappoint me? It's all good, Frederick." For a moment I thought he was acting, but after a couple of seconds I noticed sincerity in his eyes. This man wasn't a monster; after all, he'd saved my life before. "Of course, I'm expecting you to pay me in another way."

"I've been saving money throughout the years," said dad, looking a bit more happy now that Poseidon hadn't gotten furious. "It's not all the money you gave to me, but maybe you can understand our economic situation and help us out. Please."

After that, Poseidon's expression changed. He wasn't serious, but he wasn't happy either. "I'm sorry, Frederick, but that can't happen," he said, his voice always sounding sincere and with a little pity. "I already helped you once, and I can't do it again. We're not talking about a small amount of money. I _really_ need you to pay me. Not now, but in the future."

Mom and dad exchanged glances, and I noticed how worried they were. I'd been hearing them for years talk about how tough our economic situation was. "Poseidon, our situation's not good," my father continued. "We have debts, and two small boys who are just starting their education. Plus that, Annabeth needs to continue her studies."

"I understand, Frederick," Poseidon replied, genuine sadness in his eyes. "But I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. The only thing I can do is to allow you to pay me throughout the years, but that's it."

" _Dad_ ," Percy exclaimed. He was trying to defend my family, but only received a scolding glare from Poseidon.

"Percy, stay out of this," said Poseidon, his voice hard and deep. I stared at Percy, expecting him to do something, anything! But everything we'd talked at Grand Central Station hadn't worked to give him courage to stand up to his father.

"Look, Frederick, I'm really sorry. I _do_ understand what you're going through, but I can't do anything . My businesses are really important for me; it's what I do for a living. And I'm not trying to make you feel like an object, Annabeth; you're not." Now, he was looking at me. "After the accident happened I kept an eye on you from the shadows. You have perfect grades, you're strong, and you've become a lovely woman. I was always up to date with your economy and education, and I secretly helped you when you were in deep need. And all of that I did it because I thought you were a good girl and a perfect wife for my son, and I just want the best for him.

"But even after that, I can't and I won't force you to get married. It's _your_ life we're talking about. But the least I could get is the money I gave your father years ago. I'm not even asking for the money that I spent to help you out, I'm happy to see the great person you've become."

I was left speechless. Suddenly, things started to make sense; there had been times when my debts had been paid, but I'd always thought dad had taken care of them. And judging by his face, he hadn't been aware either.

Then, the worried expression came back to his face. Mom and him exchanged glances one more time, and I knew they were having one of those silent conversations they normally had when they were worried.

And suddenly, I felt guilty. If it hadn't been for me, they wouldn't be in that situation. Of course, I hadn't caused the accident, but my injuries had gotten us in this situation. And it made me feel…terrible.

"Mr. Poseidon," I said after thinking through things. "I-I will do it. I'll get married to Percy, just leave everything behind and forgive my father."

"Annabeth, there's no need for you to do that," said dad.

"Yes, there is," I sad confident. "If I can do something to help you out, I will."

Dad wanted to argue, but every time he tried to talk I stopped him. Finally, after some minutes of silence, Poseidon said: "Your father's right, you're not forced to do anything."

"I _will_ do it."

More silence.

Finally, the last thing he said was: "Very well." And he left. No 'good bye', no 'thank you'. Just silence, as if this was another one of his deals.

Mom, who usually never cried, felt the necessity to let everything out and left the room. Dad muttered something to me before leaving after her, but I couldn't quite get it. In the end, Percy and I were left alone.

Anger started bubbling inside me. "Why didn't you say anything?" I exclaimed, trying not to sound very loud. "You could've helped a little. You hate the idea of marrying as much as I do."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do," he said, sounding sincere just like his father. "I told you, dad controls my life."

"A little help would've been nice," I argued. "Now we're stuck with each other."

"Oh, I didn't know it was so horrible to be with me. You didn't say that earlier when we met," he said, arguing back.

"That's not the point, Percy! It doesn't matter how cool you are, _this_ is not what we want! Now leave my house before I lose the little respect I got left for you!" Before he could even respond, I slammed the door shut.


End file.
